These are extremely easy and much less time consuming than vegan meringues and in fact they use only one additional ingredient, unsweetened shredded coconut (not fresh and not the presweetened kind). They take about’10 minutes to make and 20 minutes (or 1 hour 20 minutes)* to bake. Decorating takes maybe another few minutes depending on what you do.

*see version 2 below in baking instructions

preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1/3 cup aquafaba (juice from canned chickpeas)

1/4 tsp Xanthan gum (or you can use cider vinegar)

1/2 C sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 3/4 cup to 3 C unsweetened shredded coconut

chill all your tools including the Aquafaba for 15-20 minutes

if you are using vinegar, add it to the aquafaba. And start beating on medium high. If using Xanthan gum, wait till soft peaks form then add Xanthan gum. Add almond extract at the soft peaks stage too. When you have reached nearly the stiff peaks stage, start slowly adding sugar, one Tb at a time. Finish adding the sugar Tb by Tb, and your aquafaba should be glossy, bright white and it should stick to the bowl if turned upside down. Gradually fold in, half cup at a time, all the coconut. Then place by scoopfulls on parchment on a baking sheet. DO NOT FORGET PARCHMENT PAPER, or these will stick. I did not have a small scoop so I just used a tablespoon measure. But you can make them larger or smaller.

Version 1: Bake at 325F for 20 minutes. Tops should be just a bit browned and bottom edges light brown too. Remove sheet from oven but allow the macaroons to cool before removing from baking sheet parchment.

Version 2 (a stabler cookie, a bit more dense but doesn’t fall apart so easily.) bake at 350 F for 20 minutes then remove from oven. Lower temp to 250 F and wait for oven to cool to that temp then replace the baking sheet in oven and bake at this low temp for 60 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven but Let cookies cool before removing them from the parchment paper.

I find version 2 makes these cookies much less fall-apart-able and a bit more dense while the taste remains the same.

to decorate, combine 3/4 C choc chips and 1/2tsp coconut oil and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again. Keep doing this for 30 seconds at a time until choc is Half-melted. Remove from microwave and stir in 1 tsp coconut oil and stir till all is liquid.

You can coat the bottoms by dunking them in the chocolate and then replace on parchment and refrigerate till chocolate is firm or you can take a spoon and just drizzle chocolate across the cookies. Refrigerate till gloss is gone from melted chocolate.

These are light and delicious and won’t last long.

However you can store them in an airtight jar too.

happy eating!